Review: Against the Ropes by Sarah Castille

                                                                          Against The Ropes
                                                                              Sarah Castille
                                                                         September 3, 2013
                                                                      Sourcebooks Casablanca
Synopsis:

He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more…

Makayla never thought she’d set foot in an underground mixed-martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it’s these guys. Trouble is, at her first sight of the club’s owner she’s the one feeling breathless.

All sleek muscle and restrained power, the man they call Torment plays to win at any cost. Whether it’s in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when to use a soft touch and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he’s about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined.

Tanya's Review:
    Great start to a new fighter series. This one has smokin hot, over protective fighters and great world building, setting the stage for a great series.  In this first book we meet Torment/Max who ends up being the head of an underground fighting ring. He is way over protective but he has his reasons for it as you eventually find out. Makayla, well she is a bit of a mess. She started out kinda weak,  got physically sick around blood and violence but she went to school for EMT training and people were pushing her to finish her medical training, go back to school. She has lots of debt she is trying  to pay off, debt collectors hounding her. That was a bit over the top for me, I know debt collectors come after you for student loans but these debt collectors seemed a bit over the top. Anyway Makayla found her way and got a bit stronger though the story and we learn about her past and what made her who she is today. oth characters had stuff they needed to work through and I thought they made a great couple. 
   Thought this was a great addition to the MMA fighter genre, one of the better stories in this genre I have read and will definitely be reading the next in the series as all the guys in this "fight club" are characters I definitely want to read more about. 

Against the Ropes:  4/5 stars

Laura's Review: 
  I agree this was a great start to a new fighter series. Although much of it felt derivative of other books - some obvious elements of Beautiful Disaster and Fifty Shades of Grey were present- Ms. Castille still built a world that felt fresh. I enjoyed Torment/Max and the ease with which he conducted himself and how he dealt with those around him. Makayla was, as Tanya put it, a hot mess - I'm pretty certain there's no way anyone would make it through EMT class (let alone two to get to the intermediate level) if they are THAT squeamish around violence of any sort. In fact, much of the book was so ridiculous I'm sure I had a permanent look of disbelief on my face as I read it. Education loan collectors that seriously harass you? Someone able to purchase a building in less than 12 hours? All absurd things that just don't happen in the real world. Still, no one is reading a romance novel for its realism, so it's all acceptable, I suppose. What people do read them for - the romance, the angst, the passion - were great here, and I'm looking forward to the next book from Ms. Castille.

Against the Ropes: 4/5 stars.